Change of Plans
by cmonkey90
Summary: This story takes place after The Time Paradox, so there are Time Paradox spoilers! Artemis/Holly pairing. Artemis and Holly have to stop Opal Koboi--again!
1. Chapter 1: Change of Plans

**Disclaimer: I do not own Artemis Fowl or any of the other characters.**

**A/N: This is my first fanfiction, so I hope it isn't too bad.**

Chapter 1: Change of Plans

Holly Short stumbled into her apartment, exhausted. She just wanted to collapse into bed and sleep for hours. But her mind was still in turmoil from the events of the last few days. She and Artemis had gone back in time, rescued an extinct lemur, and defeated Opal Koboi—again. But it was the emotional side of the story that had Holly's mind spinning, making sleep impossible. The trip back through time had affected her emotions in ways that she still didn't understand. The time stream had turned her into an adolescent again.

_And she had kissed Artemis! Kissed him!_

Holly groaned aloud. This was the memory that she had been trying to suppress, but it kept popping up in her thoughts. Why had she kissed him? She had tried to dismiss the action by blaming her teenage hormones, but maybe…

_No._ Holly stopped the thought before it could get any further. Of course it had just been hormones. She and Artemis were just friends, right? Besides, he was a 14 year old human and she was an 80 year old fairy. Friends were all they could ever be.

Holly sighed. At least she had all weekend to sort through her muddled thoughts. It had been nice of Trouble to give her the weekend off.

Holly was jarred out of her thoughts by a sharp ringing. She glared at her LEP communicator. What now? "Hello?" she answered it.

"Hi Holly," replied Foaly, "Sorry to interrupt your weekend, but we have a problem."

_Great_, thought Holly. "What is it?" she asked apprehensively, although she had a pretty good idea.

"It's Opal. Somehow she managed to escape from that pile of rocks Artemis buried her in."

"Of course," muttered Holly. "So I take it my weekend off has been canceled?"

"Sorry Holly," said Foaly, sounding apologetic, "But the Commander wants your help with this case."

"What about Artemis?" Holly asked, without thinking. She mentally kicked herself.

"Hmm. He could be useful. After all, he has helped us defeat Koboi before," said Foaly thoughtfully. "Why don't you give him a call."

Holly frowned. She wasn't sure she wanted Artemis involved in this. On the one hand, he was a genius and she trusted him, even if he had lied to her. On the other, she didn't want to force him into any more dangerous situations. Holly shook herself, dispelling all her confusing thoughts about Artemis. "Will do, Foaly," she said, and hung up.

Holly sighed and grabbed her LEP helmet. "So much for my relaxing weekend," she grumbled as she headed out the door.

**A/N: So, thats the first chapter. I hope you liked it. I'm not really sure where this story is going; this chapter kinda wrote itself. Please review! I am trying to stay true to the characters, so if you think i messed something up, let me know! Constructive critisism is welcome!**


	2. Chapter 2: Not Again!

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters.**

**A/N: Ok here is chapter 2. Thanks to everyone who reviewed chapter 1. I couldn't think of a good title for this chapter, so if you have an idea, let me know. Enjoy!**

Chapter 2:

Artemis Fowl sat at his desk, thinking about his recent trip back through time, and about everything he had told his mother. It was strange to think that his adventures with the People were no longer a secret. He had told his mother almost everything about his adventures, starting with the fateful day he had kidnapped Holly.

_Holly._ It seemed that no matter what he did, his thoughts always returned to his pretty elfin friend, who had been with him throughout every adventure. Artemis allowed his mind to wander to the things he had not shared with his mother, or with anyone. Holly had kissed him. What did that mean? Artemis sighed, frustrated. Understanding emotions was not one of his strong points. The kiss had seemed to come out of nowhere. One minute, he was being mauled to death by an angry gorilla, the next he had been healed and Holly was kissing him. Artemis shook his head. It was all too confusing, even for a genius. He and Holly were friends, of course, she was one of his closest friends. But he had lied to her, completely destroying any possibilities the kiss had presented; possibilities that Artemis had not even considered until it was too late.

Artemis put his head in his hands. He didn't deserve Holly, after what he had done. That she had forgiven him was already more than he deserved.

At that moment, his fairy communicator beeped, signaling an incoming call. Artemis blinked and stared at the ring in surprise. He twisted the ring and held his hand up to his ear, like a child playing telephone. "Holly?"

"Hello Artemis," came Holly's reply. She sounded worried.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, mentally listing all the things that would have Holly calling him less than 24 hours after she had left. The list was not looking good.

"It seems that Opal escaped from her rocky prison before the LEP could get to her."

Artemis was hit by a torrent of conflicting thoughts as he processed Holly's words and their implications. They would have to stop Opal _again_. He and Holly had barely survived their last encounter with the demented pixie mastermind. On the other hand, Holly needed his help; wanted his help. That must be why she was calling. "So I assume that you would like my assistance in stopping her?"

"I'm not going to force you," Holly answered, "But yes, I would like your help."

Artemis smiled at the thought of working with Holly again so soon. Then he frowned. He must keep these confusing feelings to himself until he could figure out what they ment. "Of course I'll help you, Holly. It is my fault Opal is in this time in the first place."

"Thanks Artemis," said Holly, sounding relieved. "I'm on my way to the surface now to meet with Trouble."

"Perhaps it would be simpler if you all just met here. I can have Butler prepare the conference room."

"That would be great, but what about your mother?"

Artemis flinched. He hadn't gotten around to telling Holly about his mother yet. She would probably be angry. He decided not to mention it over the phone. "It won't be a problem," he answered evasively. "I will explain everything when you arrive."

"Well…" Holly sounded slightly suspicious, "Ok. I'll let Trouble know. See you soon." She ended the call.

"See you soon," he whispered to his hand. He allowed himself a small smile. Soon he would see Holly again. He mentally shook himself and focused on the real problem. What to do about Opal Koboi.

**A/N: Well, I hope you liked this chapter! Please review! I like constructive critisism and any writing tips you have. Especially any advice about the characters. Sorry about all the dialogue, I didn't know how else to write it. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be ready. **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long... stupid writers block. Anyway... here is chapter 3. Hope you like it!!**

**Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Eoin Colfer.**

Chapter 3:

A few hours later, Artemis, Holly, Trouble, and Butler were seated around a large conference table in Fowl Manor. A large flat screen TV had been set up at one end of the table and Foaly's faces filled the screen. Artemis, seated at the other end of the table had his laptop open in front of him. His mother and father had taken the twins to the park for the afternoon.

Holly fidgeted nervously. She wanted to be _doing_ something, not just sitting around talking and planning. "Can we get this meeting over with?" she said suddenly. "Opal Koboi is on the loose, probably planning to take over the world, and we're just sitting here."

Artemis sighed and closed his laptop. "Captain Short is right, of course. Time is of the essence." He turned to Trouble. "Commander, would you please describe everything that happened after I blew up the Kraken and buried Opal."

Trouble glared at Artemis, wondering why he was letting this Mud Boy order him around. His eyes shifted to Butler at the boy's side. _Oh yeah,_ he thought_, that's why._ Trouble almost shivered, remembering the last time he had come face to face with Fowl's giant bodyguard. The massive human had taken out Trouble's entire LEP Retrieval team. He turned back to Artemis. "All right," he sighed and began his story.

Artemis listened intently as Commander Kelp described the events surrounding Opal Koboi's escape. It was mostly things that he already knew or had guessed. He glanced at Holly, wondering what she was thinking. She looked frustrated; Artemis knew how much she hated the planning stages of the operation.

"… So I told Foaly to triple the guard on our Opal, and call Holly. And here we are," finished Trouble lamely. It hadn't been a long story.

Artemis nodded to the Commander. "Good idea to increase the guard around the Present Opal. Past Opal will almost certainly try to break herself out of prison. You should also assign some officers to guard JayJay. It is unlikely that Opal will try to steal him again, but still a possibility. No1 should also have a LEP guard. Now that Opal knows more about time travel, she may attempt to kidnap him."

Trouble nodded and turned to Foaly. "You heard the Mud Boy, Foaly. I want full LEP guards for the lemur and No1 immediately."

"Yes sir," grumbled Foaly. He hated taking orders from Artemis Fowl.

Trouble turned back to Artemis. "Ok Fowl," he said, "What now?"

Artemis gave the Commander an evil grin, and one almost expected to see fangs. Trouble Kelp shivered. "Now," said Artemis, "we set a trap."

Holly perked up at the word "trap" and grinned back at Artemis. _He really is a genius,_ she thought admiringly. Opal would never even suspect a trap. She would surely anticipate the extra guards, but 

she would not expect anyone else to be clever enough to set a trap. Criminal masterminds never expected someone else to be as smart as them.

"What's the plan Artemis?" she asked.

The small smile he gave her was much kinder than the one he had just given Trouble. Holly caught her breath; that smile had reminded her of how Artemis had smiled at her right after she had saved him from the gorilla. Right before she kissed him. _Shut up, _she told herself firmly. This was not the time to get all emotional over memories. Thankfully, Artemis decided to answer her question at that moment, pulling Holly back to the present situation.

"I have not worked out all the details yet, but we will set a trap for Past Opal when she attempts to rescue Present Opal from prison." Artemis turned to Foaly, "In order to ensure the success of my plan, I will need detailed blueprints and information about the prison and guard of Opal Koboi."

Foaly couldn't resist a snide comment as he typed away on various unseen keyboards. "What, the great Artemis Fowl has to ask? You can't just hack into my files and steal them yourself?"

Artemis looked amused. "I could," he said, "but this will be faster."

Foaly frowned and continued typing. A few moments later he looked up. "Done."

Artemis quickly opened his laptop and downloaded the files. "Thank you, Foaly." He looked at the two elves and continued, "Now, I will need some time to construct a plan. You are both welcome to stay here for the night, if you wish. Butler can show you to our guest rooms."

Butler stood and headed for the door. Trouble and Holly rose from their chairs to follow, but Artemis put a hand on Holly's shoulder. "I need to speak with you Holly," he whispered.

Holly's heart fluttered when he said her name, but she simply nodded and sat down again. Once Butler and Trouble were out of earshot, Artemis turned to Holly.

_Here goes nothing,_ he thought grimly. Artemis took a deep breath and blurted "Holly, my mother knows about the People."

Holly gasped and stared at Artemis in shock. "But… what… how?" she stuttered, at a loss for words. Then she glared at him. "You didn't tell her, did you?" she asked menacingly.

Artemis looked apprehensive. "Well, you see, when Opal was controlling my mother, she left some of her memories behind. My mother remembered what had happened to her, and wanted to know the truth. I had no choice but to tell her everything."

Holly blushed slightly. "Everything?" she asked.

Artemis blushed also, but it was more noticeable on his pale face. "Well, maybe not everything," he mumbled quietly.

Holly sighed and closed her eyes. Why was it so hard to stay mad at him? She should be furious; Artemis had betrayed the People's trust and told someone about them. She sighed again and opened her eyes to glare at the boy in front of her. He waited apprehensively to see how she would respond. "Alright Fowl, I'm not going to punch you now, but if this blows up in my face…"

Artemis sighed, relieved. If Holly was threatening him with bodily harm, she had already accepted the situation. He smiled at her. "My mother promised not to tell anyone, not even my father," he said soothingly. "But she also wants to meet you… to thank you."

Holly rose from her chair and headed toward the door. "I guess I should have expected that," she said over her shoulder.

Artemis watched her leave and felt himself relax; that had gone better than he expected.

**A/N: So, I hope you liked this chapter! Please review!! Personally, I think there is something wrong with this chapter, but I can't figure out what. Any advice or constructive criticism is welcome! Especially advice about the characters! I'll try to have another chapter up soon. Also, I need ideas for chapter titles. Any suggestions?**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Well, here is chapter 4. Enjoy.**

Chapter 4:

Artemis and Holly waited in the entrance hall for Angeline, Myles, and Beckett Fowl to return. (Artemis Senior had left earlier for a business meeting in Hong Kong.) Holly was pacing nervously in front of the door, ready to shield the moment she heard the family approaching. Artemis was sitting in a chair, nonchalantly working on his laptop. Holly stopped pacing for a moment to glare at him. How could he be so calm, while she was a nervous wreck? The elf shook her head and resumed her pacing.

Actually, Artemis was just a nervous as Holly. He just didn't show it. Holly was the first friend he had ever introduced to his mother, and she wasn't even human! He wondered how his mother would react to seeing a fairy now that she was in control of her own mind.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his mother's laugh drifting up the walkway. Holly froze and shielded, leaving only a slight haze where she had been. Artemis closed his laptop and stood up. The Holly-shaped haze moved beside him.

Angeline Fowl opened the door, her head turned, talking to the two year old twin boys behind her. "Now Beckett," she chided gently, "you know you will have to empty _all_ the sand out of your pockets before you come inside."

Myles walked through the door, clutching his stuffed monkey, Professor Primate, to his chest. He grinned at his older brother. "Beckett simple-toon," he said, and ran up the stairs.

Beckett stood just outside the door, pouting, his jacket pockets bulging with sand. He slowly emptied his pockets, creating a small pile of sand in front of the door. Still pouting, he followed his twin brother up the stairs.

Artemis looked at his mother curiously. "Why was Beckett attempting to smuggle sand into the house?"

Angeline laughed and shook her head. "He said he wanted to make a sandbox in his room." She glanced back toward the stairs then turned back to her eldest son. "How did your meeting go?" she asked seriously.

"It went quite well, actually. I am putting the finishing touches on a plan to re-capture Opal Koboi. I am fairly confident that we shall succeed. However, my plan will most likely take several hours to complete. Would it be alright if a couple of my friends stayed here tonight?"

Angeline's eyes widened. "Of course they can, Arty," she said. She leaned closer to her son and whispered excitedly, "Could I meet one of them?"

Artemis smiled. "Of course, mother." He turned to the empty space beside him. "Holly," he said dramatically, "I'd like you to meet my mother."

Holly rolled her eyes. Of course Artemis had insisted on a grand entrance for her. She had tried to persuade him that a more conventional introduction would be better, but he had refused to 

compromise. Finally, she had given in. She would use it as an 'I told you so' later. Holly switched off her shield and shimmered into view.

Angeline Fowl gasped and took a step back as a small figure appeared next to her son. Naturally, Artemis had told her about the fairy's power to shield, but it was different to see it firsthand. The girl in front of her was small, only about three feet tall. Although she had the stature of a child, she was clearly an adult. She had short auburn hair, nut brown skin, a hazel eye and a blue eye. Her mismatched eyes were wary, yet defiant. Angeline could tell that this tiny fairy would be more than a match for most fully grown humans. And, of course, her ears were pointed.

"Mother,"

Angeline tore her gaze from the creature in front of her and looked back at her son.

"I would like you to meet LEP Recon Captain Holly Short."

Angeline looked at Holly again. From what Artemis had told her, this fairy had saved her life and the lives of her family multiple times. Now that the initial shock was over, Angeline remembered her manners.

"It's lovely to meet you, Holly. Arty has told me so much about you."

Holly looked up. "Nice to meet you, too," she said awkwardly, wondering what exactly Artemis had said about her.

Angeline smiled. "I want to thank you, Holly, for everything you have done for our family. Without you, my husband would have died in the Arctic. Twice now you have helped me, and Arty would have died countless times without you. Our family owes you their lives and I can't thank you enough. You are always welcome in our home."

"Er, thanks," said Holly uncomfortably.

Artemis saved her from continuing the increasingly awkward conversation. "Mother," he began, "Holly and one of her colleagues will be staying overnight. We may have to leave early in the morning."

Angeline sighed. "I wish you would stop being so formal with me, Arty," she said to her son.

"Very well, er mom." Artemis winced. Had he actually just said _er_? It wasn't even a word! "Holly and I must be going. Holly needs to rest, and I have to finish my plan."

Angeline had been smiling at Holly, but looked up when her son spoke. "Of course, Arty." She turned back to Holly. "It was wonderful to finally meet you, Holly. I'm so glad Arty has a friend like you."

Holly blushed and mumbled something. She and Artemis went up the stairs. When they reached the landing, Holly turned to glare at Artemis.

"I think that went rather well," he said smugly.

Holly rolled her eyes. "I my thought my entrance was a bit over the top. I thought your mother was going to faint when I appeared!"

Artemis sighed. "I suppose it was a bit melodramatic," he said thoughtfully.

Holly snorted. "I _told_ you it was too much. You really should listen to me more often." She turned away from him and walked down the hall to the guest room. Artemis watched her go before turning toward his room. Time to do what he did best: plot.

**A/N: Well, I hope you liked it! Please review! I love reading reviews! I think I really messed up the characters in this chapter, so sorry about that. Any character advice or other construstive critism is welcome. Also, sorry for all the boring chapters, there will be some exciting action scenes eventually(I hope).**


	5. Chapter 5: The Dream

**A/N: I really like how this chapter turned out. I hope you like it too!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters.**

Chapter 5: The Dream

It was almost 2:00AM when Artemis finally shut down his computer, his plan complete. He was not completely satisfied with this plan; if things went wrong, someone could get seriously injured. However, it had been the best plan he had come up with, and was more likely to succeed than the other three he had considered. Artemis knew that they would eventually win, and Past Opal would be returned to her own time. Tomorrow, he would explain his plan to the others. Artemis got into bed and was asleep almost instantly.

_Artemis struggled to move the heavy metal box while the battle raged around him. He could see Holly fighting demons out of the corner of his eye. But he had a job to do; he could not be sidetracked by the battle. He had to move the box._

_Out of the corner of his eye, Artemis saw Abbot plunge his sword into Holly's chest. He heard the sickening sound of the sword being pulled out again. His mind was spinning. This could not be happening!_

"_Magic cannot save you, elf," Abbot gloated._

_Artemis tried to focus on his plan, but Holly's weak voice stopped him._

"_Artemis," she said. "Artemis, help me."_

_Artemis looked over, and saw his friend die alone on the ground._

_Artemis tried to get to Holly, but something seemed to be holding him back. He struggled…_

And fell to the floor. The sudden return to reality left Artemis slightly confused and disoriented. He continued to struggle for a few moments before he realized where he was.

Once he realized what had happened, Artemis attempted to calm himself, through meditation. _It was just a dream_, he told himself sternly. _Holly is perfectly fine and is sleeping just down the hall._ Despite these reassurances, he could not dispel the image of Holly dying on Hybris from his mind. _Perhaps if I were to check on her, it would put my mind at ease._ Artemis silently berated himself. He should not need physical reassurances about a dream! Dreams were simply the succession of images, thoughts, and emotions passing through one's mind during sleep. They did not mean anything.

After a few minutes of internal debate, Artemis found himself creeping silently down the hall toward Holly's room. He would just peek in to make sure she was alright, and then he would go back to bed. He paused before Holly's door, before silently easing it open.

The room was bathed in moonlight streaming through the open window. The emerald green curtains swayed as a gentle breeze swept through the room. Holly was lying on top of the bed, the blankets still folded at the bottom. She looked so small and vulnerable on the human sized bed. Artemis took a step into the room, intending to cover her with the blankets. He was a few feet from the bed when he felt his foot catch on something. _Uh oh._

CRASH!

Artemis was once again sprawled on the floor. _Stupid,_ he thought_, why wasn't I watching my feet?_ He looked up to see Holly peering at him curiously from the bed.

Holly had been sleeping peacefully when she was rudely awakened by a loud crash nearby. She sat up, instantly alert. Her police training had her scanning the room for her attacker. What she saw almost made her laugh out loud. Artemis Fowl, child genius, was sprawled on the floor, having apparently just tripped over her wings. She sobered up immediately as her mind processed the sight. What was Artemis doing in her room in the middle of the night?

"Artemis?" she whispered.

Artemis tried to regain his composure and think of an intelligent response. This was difficult, as his feet were still tangled in the mechanical wings.

"Hello, Holly," he said. So much for his intelligent response. He frantically tried to think of a logical excuse for his being in her room in the early hours of the morning.

Holly was obviously thinking the same thing. "Why are you in my room?" she asked.

Artemis sighed. He decided it would probably be best to just tell Holly the truth. He did not want to lie to her, and none of the excuses he had come up with were any more plausible or logical. Perhaps he would leave out his intention to cover her with a blanket. That would be difficult to explain, even to himself.

"If you must know, I had a nightmare, and was checking to make sure you were okay," he said, rather stiffly as he picked himself up off the ground. "I must have been half asleep, because I was unable to reassure myself with logic and reason."

Holly sat up and patted the space next to her. "What was your nightmare about?" she asked.

Artemis sat beside her. "Hybris," he said without looking at her. "I dreamed that you died and I couldn't save you."

Holly took his hand and squeezed it reassuringly. She didn't know what to say.

He looked down at her, his eyes serious. "I couldn't go through that again, Holly," he said in a strangled whisper.

Holly shivered. "Let's hope you never have to," she replied.

They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, before the pair realized that they were still holding hands. Holly quickly dropped Artemis's hand, glad that he couldn't see her red cheeks in the darkness.

Artemis stood. "I should get back to bed," he said awkwardly. He was grateful that Holly could not see him blushing. She nodded. He hesitated, resisting a crazy impulse to lean over and kiss her cheek. _Stupid horomones, _he thought. He turned and walked toward the door, carefully avoiding the wings.

He was about to close the door when Holly spoke. "Good night, Arty," she said softly.

Artemis smiled. "Good night, Holly." He gently closed the door and returned to his own room.

Holly gazed out the window and tried to fall asleep again. When she did, her dreams were about Artemis Fowl.

**A/N: Please review! This chapter may seem like a random attempt to create more awkward Holly/Arty scenes, but it actually has a purpose in the story! All will be revealed...eventually. So, any tips about characters or any other constructive critism is welcome! I love reading reviews! (Hint, Hint) I probably won't post the next chapter for a while, so sorry for that! :( I will be gone for the weekend, so I expect lots of new reviews when I return!**


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